not a self identity issue

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Jefferson Vann
marmsky May (7)

not a self identity issue

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2374

John 1:19-23

Joh 1:19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
Joh 1:20 He did not deny it, but admitted: “I am not the Messiah.”
Joh 1:21 “Who then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered.
Joh 1:22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “So we can give an answer to those who sent us. What are you saying about yourself?”
Joh 1:23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make the road of the Lord straight — just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

not a self identity issue

Identity is one of the great tensions of this generation. Many voices insist on the right to redefine the self, while others push back with equal force. The debate is loud, emotional, and often deeply personal. But when the delegation from Jerusalem came to John, their concern was not philosophical; it was confrontational. They wanted to pin John down, to force him into a category, to make him declare who he was—or who he was claiming to be. Their questions were all about John’s identity.

John refused to play that game. He did not build a platform around himself. He did not defend his reputation. He did not craft a narrative to satisfy his critics. Instead, he turned their attention away from himself and toward the Scriptures. His identity was not the point. His calling was not to explain himself but to prepare the way for Another. John’s greatness lay in his refusal to make himself the center. He understood that the only identity that mattered was the identity of Christ.

In a culture obsessed with self-definition, John’s posture is a needed correction. The more energy a generation spends on defining itself, the more it risks losing sight of the One who alone gives identity its meaning. John teaches that the healthiest self-understanding comes not from introspection but from orientation—turning toward Christ, recognizing who He is, and aligning life with His mission.

John’s task was preparation. His joy was pointing. His identity was bound up in announcing the identity of the Lamb of God. And that remains the calling of every believer. The world may demand explanations about who we are, but the gospel calls us to speak about who Christ is. Our identity finds its clarity only when His identity is proclaimed.

LORD, show us how to focus on You and who You are.

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The one who exegeted God

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Jefferson Vann
marmsky May (6)

The one who exegeted God

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2373

John 1:14-18

Joh 1:14 The Word became flesh and lodged among us. We took notice of how bright he shown, the brightness that the one and only Son from the Father can show, full of grace and truth.
Joh 1:15 (John testified about him and exclaimed, “He was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks in front of me, because he existed before me.'”)
Joh 1:16 Because, we have all received grace after grace from his fullness,
Joh 1:17 Because the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Joh 1:18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side– he has explained him.

The one who exegeted God

When a preacher studies a passage deeply enough to unfold its meaning with clarity and care, that preacher becomes an exegete—someone who draws out what the text contains and lays it before the hearers. John tells us that this is exactly what Jesus has done for humanity. No one had ever seen God. No prophet, no patriarch, no visionary had ever stood within the full radiance of God’s presence. But Jesus had. He had been at the Father’s side from all eternity, sharing the very life and glory of God. He alone truly knows what God is like, because He is the Father’s unique Son.

So when Jesus came into the world, He did not merely speak about God; He exegeted God. John uses the verb ἐξηγήσατο—a word that means to unfold, to narrate, to interpret, to make known. Jesus did not offer secondhand descriptions or partial glimpses. He revealed the Father’s heart, character, intentions, and purposes with perfect accuracy. Everything He said, everything He did, every act of compassion, every word of truth, every moment of obedience—each one was an exposition of God Himself.

In Jesus, the invisible God became visible.
In Jesus, the unknowable God became knowable.
In Jesus, the distant God became near.

This means that the search for God’s character does not begin in speculation or philosophy. It begins in Christ. Anyone who wants to know what God is like must look at Jesus. Anyone who wants to understand God’s will must listen to Jesus. Anyone who wants to grasp God’s love must watch Jesus give Himself for the world.

Jesus is not merely a messenger from God; He is the explanation of God. He is the Father’s self‑interpretation, the living commentary on divine love, holiness, mercy, and truth. Through Him, the mystery of God has stepped into the light.

Thank you, Lord, for explaining who God is, and what He wants.

 

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welcoming our creator

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Jefferson Vann
marmsky May (5)

welcoming our creator

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2372

John 1:10-13

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and the world did not recognize him.
Joh 1:11 He came to his own creation, and his own creation did not welcome him.
Joh 1:12 But to everyone who did welcome him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to the believers in his name,
Joh 1:13 who were produced as offspring, not from blood relations, nor from carnal desire, nor from the desire of a husband, but from God.

welcoming our creator

Here is an expanded, 400‑word reflection in the same pastoral, devotional tone, without second‑person singular, and aligned with the theological emphasis you expressed:

If I were inclined to push Calvinism or Arminianism, I could easily use this passage to support either system. The language of divine initiative is present, and so is the language of human response. But I do not think John’s purpose was to invite his readers into that debate. His concern is far more immediate, far more pastoral, and far more evangelistic. He wants to draw attention to the staggering reality that Christ entered a world that did not welcome Him. The Light came, but the darkness did not recognize Him. The Creator stepped into His creation, yet His own people did not receive Him.

John is not trying to settle theological systems; he is trying to awaken hearts. He wants every reader to feel the tragedy of a world blind to its Maker, and then to feel the wonder of the invitation that follows. Even though the world refused Him, anyone who dares to believe is given the right to become a child of God. That is the heartbeat of the passage. John is urging all who hear his words to join him in welcoming Christ, to open their lives to the One who was rejected by many but remains willing to receive all who trust Him.

As an evangelist, John writes with hope. He knows that belief is possible even in a resistant world. He knows that the Light still shines, and that the Spirit still awakens faith. He wants his readers to know that no one is excluded from the invitation. The door into God’s family is open to all who believe in the name of Jesus.

As a worshiper, John writes with awe. He marvels that God, in His love, chooses to produce children among us—children who will belong to Him forever. This is not a mechanical process or a theological abstraction. It is the overflow of divine love. God is not merely saving individuals; He is forming a family that will share His life for eternity.

This passage, then, is not a battleground for theological camps. It is a call to welcome Christ, a promise for all who believe, and a hymn of praise to the God who lovingly brings new life into a darkened world.

LORD, we praise You for Your love, and we ask You to use us to reach a world that does not recognize its Creator.

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the attester

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Jefferson Vann
marmsky May (4)

the attester

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2371

John 1:6-9

Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
Joh 1:7 He came as an attester to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him.
Joh 1:8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.
Joh 1:9 The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

the attester

Here is an expanded 400‑word version, keeping the first‑person devotional tone and avoiding all second‑person singular:

I have never been fully comfortable using the English word witness to translate μαρτυρίαν, because in modern usage it suggests someone who simply reports what was seen with physical eyes. John’s language is richer and deeper than that. He is not describing a spectator giving an account of events; he is describing someone who attests, someone who openly declares trust in the One who has revealed Himself. His testimony is not the cold reporting of a camera but the warm confession of a heart that has encountered the Light.

That distinction matters for my own life of faith. If Christian testimony were primarily about proving what I have seen, then I would always feel inadequate. My faith is not built on sight. My confidence in Christ is not the result of exhaustive evidence gathered through my senses. It is the result of the Spirit’s work within me, awakening trust, illuminating Christ, and drawing me into the life He gives. When I speak of Jesus, I am simply attesting to the One I believe in.

This frees me from the pressure to argue or persuade. When I share my faith, the only thing I must make clear is the reality of my belief: that I trust Jesus as the Savior of the world, that I have staked my life on His grace, and that His light has entered my darkness. I do not need to prove anything beyond that. I do not need to carry the burden of convincing anyone. The Holy Spirit is the One who opens eyes, softens hearts, and brings the light of Christ into the inner world of another person.

My task is simple: to speak honestly about the One I trust. God’s task is the miracle of revelation. My role is courage; God’s role is transformation. My responsibility is confession; God’s responsibility is conviction. This truth brings rest to my soul. It allows me to share my faith without fear, without anxiety, and without the weight of outcomes. The same Spirit who awakened me is still at work in the world, still shining the light that no darkness can overcome.

LORD, give me the courage to share my faith, and the trust to leave the rest to You.

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a difference in our darkness

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Jefferson Vann
marmsky May (3)

a difference in our darkness

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2370

John 1:1-5

Joh 1:1 At first there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 He was with God at first.
Joh 1:3 Everything else was created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
Joh 1:4 Life was in him, and that life was humanity’s light.
Joh 1:5 That light is now shining in the darkness, and yet the darkness has not overcome it.

a difference in our darkness

John’s story is ultimately a story about God stepping toward us when we had no ability, and honestly no desire, to step toward Him. He begins by reminding us that our Creator is the source of all existence. Everything that lives, breathes, thinks, or moves does so because His life sustains it. Yet John refuses to let us reduce this to a cold theological fact. He wants us to feel the wonder: the One who brought galaxies into being did not remain distant or indifferent. Existence itself was not enough for Him. Love compelled Him to come closer.

John describes God as the One who dwells in “unapproachable light,” a realm so holy and radiant that no creature could survive it. By contrast, humanity lives in darkness—not merely the darkness of ignorance, but the darkness of rebellion, confusion, and spiritual blindness. John wants us to sense the vast, unbridgeable distance between the God who is pure light and the people who have chosen shadows. It is not simply a moral gap; it is an existential chasm. We were made by Him, yet we drifted far from Him.

But then John announces the miracle: God Himself crossed the distance. The light did not stay far away. It pierced the darkness. It took on flesh. It walked among us. The life that has always been with the Father stepped into our world so that we could see it, hear it, touch it, and be changed by it. The light did not merely expose our darkness; it illuminated a path out of it. His presence among us was not symbolic. It made a real difference. Where He walked, darkness retreated. Where He spoke, confusion dissolved. Where He touched, death itself lost its grip.

John’s message is not simply that God is shining, but that His shining is for us. The light is not a distant blaze on the horizon; it is a lamp placed in our night, a sun rising over our broken world. The Creator who once spoke light into existence has now spoken Himself into our darkness, and nothing is the same.

LORD, thank you for sharing Your light in our dark universe. Shine it again in us today.

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free, but disciplined

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky May (2)

free, but disciplined

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2369

Numbers 36:1-13

Num 36:1 The heads of the fathers’ houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the leaders, the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel.
Num 36:2 They said, “Yahveh commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by Yahveh to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.
Num 36:3 But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance.
Num 36:4 And when the liberation of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”
Num 36:5 And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of Yahveh, and this is what he said “The tribe of the people of Joseph is right.
Num 36:6 This is what Yahveh commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘Let them marry whom they think best, only they will marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.
Num 36:7 The inheritance of the people of Israel will not be transferred from one tribe to another, because every one of the people of Israel will hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Num 36:8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel will be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers.
Num 36:9 So no inheritance will be transferred from one tribe to another, because each of the tribes of the people of Israel will hold on to its own inheritance.'”
Num 36:10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as Yahveh commanded Moses,
Num 36:11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father’s brothers.
Num 36:12 They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s clan.
Num 36:13 These are the commandments and the rules that Yahveh commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

free, but disciplined

This final passage in this wonderful book once again visits the daughters of Zelophehad. These heroes of the book are not mentioned enough in our sermons and books about this time. They stood up for their rights in a time when that was unheard of. Good on them!

But this last story tells us that the daughters of Zelophehad were not just wide eyed activists. They were also disciplined citizens of the community of Israel. When the LORD commanded that they maintain their father’s inheritance by marrying only within the clan of Manasseh, they heartily agreed to the regulation. Their concern was not just their rights, but doing what it right.

LORD, thank you for the privilege of citizenship in your coming kingdom. Show us how to discipline our lives so that we represent your kingdom well.

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accept no ransom

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky May (1)

accept no ransom

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2368

Numbers 35:26-34

Num 35:26 But if the killer will at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he ran away,
Num 35:27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the killer, he will not be guilty of blood.
Num 35:28 Because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the killer may return to the land of his possession.
Num 35:29 And these things will be for a prescription and rule for you throughout your generations in all your staying places.
Num 35:30 “If anyone kills a soul, the murderer will be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person will be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
Num 35:31 Moreover, you will accept no ransom for the soul of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he will be put to death.
Num 35:32 And you will accept no ransom for him who has ran away to his city of refuge, that he may return to stay in the land before the death of the high priest.
Num 35:33 You will not pollute the land in which you live, because blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Num 35:34 You will not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I stay, because I Yahveh stay in the midst of the people of Israel.”

accept no ransom

There are two cases indicated in this instruction which are exceptions to the rules about purchasing ransom for a criminal. The person convicted of premeditated murder had to be executed, and could not be ransomed. The person guilty of unintentional killing could not be ransomed and return to his original residence.

Both of these rules are designed to prevent feuding. When family targets family in an unending cycle of hate and murder, the land becomes polluted. God wanted his promised land to be filled with families who respected each other.

LORD, show us how extend our love, forgiveness and respect beyond our immediate families.

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the congregation will rescue

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky April 2018 (30)

the congregation will rescue

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2367

Numbers 35:9-25

Num 35:9 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Num 35:10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
Num 35:11 then you will select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the killer who strikes down any soul inadvertently may escape there.
Num 35:12 The cities will be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the killer may not die until he stands in the sight of the congregation for judgment.
Num 35:13 And the cities that you give will be your six cities of refuge.
Num 35:14 You will give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.
Num 35:15 These six cities will be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the foreign guest and for the temporary resident among them, that anyone who strikes down any soul inadvertently may escape there.
Num 35:16 “But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.
Num 35:17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.
Num 35:18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.
Num 35:19 The avenger of blood will himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he will put him to death.
Num 35:20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died,
Num 35:21 or in animosity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow will be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood will put the murderer to death when he meets him.
Num 35:22 “But if he pushed him suddenly without animosity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait
Num 35:23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,
Num 35:24 then the congregation will judge between the killer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.
Num 35:25 And the congregation will rescue the killer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation will restore him to his city of refuge to which he had escaped, and he will live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

the congregation will rescue

God had given his people the wisdom and insight they needed to rescue those who made terrible mistakes, leading to the death of someone. God wanted the congregation to intervene in these circumstances, judge between the killer and the avenger of blood, and rescue the innocent. Instead of giving license to vengeance, God set up a system of protection.

Why would God entrust people with such power? He has given us the ability to discern right from wrong.

LORD, thank you for the wisdom you have given us. Help us to see opportunities of using that wisdom to rescue others.

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learning consideration

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky April 2018 (29)

learning consideration

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2366

Numbers 35:1-8

Num 35:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, and this is what he said,
Num 35:2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance they possess as cities for them to stay in. And you will give to the Levites pasture-lands around the cities.
Num 35:3 The cities will be theirs to stay in, and their pasture-lands will be for their herds and for their flocks+- and for all their animals.
Num 35:4 The pasture-lands of the cities, which you will give to the Levites, will reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.
Num 35:5 And you will measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This will belong to them as pasture-land for their cities.
Num 35:6 “The cities that you give to the Levites will be the six cities of refuge, where you will permit the person who unintentionally kills someone to run away, and in addition to them you will give forty-two cities.
Num 35:7 All the cities that you give to the Levites will be forty-eight, with their pasture-lands.
Num 35:8 And as for the cities that you will give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you will take many, and from the smaller tribes you will take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, will give of its cities to the Levites.”

learning consideration

The LORD built consideration into his economy. The tribes were to be considerate of the Levites, who owned no land as an inheritance, and they were to be considerate of the person who unintentionally kills someone, by providing cities of refuge for them to seek asylum in.

Not everyone is going to be able to make it in this world without some help from us. If we wonder what God wants us to do for the homeless and poor and refugees, we can take a clue from passages like this. God wants us to be considerate of them.

LORD, show us how to help those who need our help.

 

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a God who acts for his people

Posted on April 28, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky April 2018 (28)

a God who acts for his people

devotions from Jefferson Vann #

Numbers 34:16-29

Num 34:16 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Num 34:17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.
Num 34:18 You will take one leader from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance.
Num 34:19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
Num 34:20 Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
Num 34:21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
Num 34:22 Of the tribe of the people of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli.
Num 34:23 Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
Num 34:24 And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
Num 34:25 Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
Num 34:26 Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
Num 34:27 And of the tribe of the people of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
Num 34:28 Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
Num 34:29 These are the men whom Yahveh commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.”

a God who acts for his people

Just look at the names listed here which contain the word El (God) in them. These are a testimony of faith in a God who acts for his people.

God has helped
God has heard
God has loved
God has shown grace
God has risen
God is my protection
God is my deliverance
God redeems

LORD, may we never lose sight of who you are, and what you can do for us.

 

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